Tray with variable number of uniform size cells



Sept. 20, 1955 H. 1. LE BLANC TRAY WITH VARIABLE NUMBER OF' UNIFORM SIZECELLS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed DEG. 29 1950 INVENTOR. /f/y e/ e3/awa' BY-mfm/ www ATTORNE YS.

Sept. 20, 1955 H. .1. LE BLANC TRAY WITH VARIABLE NUMBER OF UNIFORM SIZECELLS 5 SheetsSheet Filed Dec. 29, 195o INVENTR. Henry 9B/anc @MMV/@mm AT TORNE YS.

Sept. 20, 1955 H. J. LE BLANC 2,718,325

TRAY WITH VARIABLE NUMBER OF' UNIFORM SIZE CELLS 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 FiledDec. 29. 195C o f l I g @JL 2625 2? 2236 24 es 2426252.31 aal 2f/g2INVENTOR.

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United States Patent Oce 2,718,325 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 TRAY WITHVARIABLE NUMBER F UNIFORM SIZE CELLS Henry J. Le Blanc, Attleboro Falls,Mass., assignor to Swank, Inc., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationDecember 29, 1950, Serial No. 203,377 3 Claims. (Cl. 2211-22) Thisinvention relates to a tray which may be formed with different numbersof cells depending upon the size of parts to be inserted therein.

Heretofore, trays have been used for transporting merchandise about afactory where it is desired to keep the articles separated to preventone from scratching the other. This is of particular interest inconnection with the transporting of jewelry from one department to theother such as from coloring to polishing, and the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a minimum number ofmolded parts which may be used for the division of a tray as desireddepending upon the size of the article to be accommodated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of members,such for instance as will require a minimum number of molds for theproduction of trays of various divisions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tray in which thedivisions may be stacked one upon the other with some separationbetween.

Another object of the invention is the provision of cell divisions whichmay be assembled by sliding of the parts one into the other where theywill remain in such form, and may be promptly secured there by somewelding operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

With reference to the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective View of a box with a plurality of trays in thebox.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmental perspective view showing the manner ofassembling the parts which go to make up the divisions of the tray.

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating two members secured together.

Figure 5 is a top plan View of a frame which may be inserted in one ofthe trays.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of a fragmental portion of one of thetransverse frame members.

Figdlre 7 is a perspective View of a fragmental portion of one of thelongitudinal frame members.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of one of the transverse divisionmembers.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fragmental portion of one of thelongitudinal division members.

Figure l() is an edge View of one of the longitudinal frame members.

Figure ll is a face view thereof.

Figure 12 is an elevation view of one of the longitudinal divisionmembers.

Figure 13 is a top edge View of one of the transverse members.

Figure 14 is a face view thereof.

Figure l5 is an elevation of one of the transverse divisional members.

Figures 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are top plan views of various assembliesof the frame members, and different numbers of division members.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide a box into which four liketrays may be assembled. In each of the trays there may be placed twodifferent frames, one superimposed upon the other, with some sort of aremovable wall between the frames. Each frame may be provided withvarious divisions to form cells which may be of a selected size, and inorder that there may be some uniformity and economy in the making of theframes, I have arranged to provide each frame with two identicallongitudinal members, and two identical transverse members. These willbe in rectangular form, the longitudinal members being parallel, and thetransverse members being parallel. Each of these members is recessed,which will open inwardly, and each of the recesses will take one of thedivisional members. There will be two sets of divisional members, one alongitudinal divisional member, and the other a transverse divisionalmember and all members of each set will be identical. Notches on oneedge will be provided so that a plurality of different size cells may beformed.

With reference to the drawings, I have shown in Figure 10 a longitudinalframe member which I designated 20, and which is provided with aplurality of recesses 2l. These recesses are so arranged that theyequally divide the strip into three parts if the recesses 22 are used,or divide the strip into four equal parts if the recesses 23 are used,or into seven equal parts if the recesses 24 are used, or into eightequal parts if the recesses 2S, in addition to the recesses 23 are used,or in ten equal parts if the recesses 26 and middle recesses 23 areused.

A longitudinal division member designated 30, as shown in Figure l2, isprovided with a plurality of notches 31 which correspond in position tothe recesses designated generally 21 in the frame member 20. Thesenotches extend inwardly from one edge one half of the width of themember 30.

A transverse frame member 32 is provided with a plurality of recesses 33which are so arranged that if the recess 34 is used, it will divide themember 32 into two equal parts. If the recesses 3S are used, it willdivide the member into three equal parts. If the recesses 36, as well asthe recesses 34, are used, it will divide the member into four equalparts, whereas if the recesses 37 are used, the member will be dividedinto five equal parts, or if the recesses 38, as well as the recesses35, are used, the member will be divided into six equal parts.

A transverse division member, as shown in Figure l5, and designated 40,will be provided with a plurality of notches 4l which will be spaced thesame as the recesses 33 in the transverse frame member 32.

These frame and division members are molded in the form above describedfrom molds in a large number at a time, and may be secured together bysome sort of a welding operation into the rectangular frame form, suchas shown in the various Figures 16-20, in each of which cases it will benoted that the frames are of identical size and shape.

I assemble two longitudinal frame members 20-20 with their recessesfacing inwardly, and in parallel relation and connected together bytransverse frame members 32 at their ends also in parallel relation.

If it is desired to provide nine cells, such as shown in Figure 16, twolongitudinal divisional members 30 will be positioned in the notches 35of the member 32, with their notches facing upwardly and two transversedivisional members 32 will be positioned in the recesses 22 of themembers 20, with their notches facing downwardly so as to interlock withthe notches 31, thus providing the upper and lower edges of thedivisional members in the same plane with the upper and lower edges ofthe frame members and 32.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 17 a single member 30 is utilizedwith the frame being positioned in the center recess 34 of the member 32While nine transverse divisional members 40 are utilized, positioned inthe recesses 26 of the longitudinal member 20 so as to provide ten equaldivisions. As shown in Figure 18, there is a use of two members 30positioned in notches 35 and a use of tive members 40 to provide sixdivisions by inserting each of the members 40 in the slots 38 of theframe members 20. As shown in Figure 19, four members 30 are used toprovide five divisions by insertion in the recesses 37, and six members40 are used to provide seven divisions by insertion in the recesses 24.

ln Figure 20, six spaces are provided laterally or transversely by theuse of tive members 30 inserted in the notches 38 and eight spaceslongitudinally are provided by using seven members, 40, inserted in therecesses 25.

From the above, it will be apparent that I may provide a large number ofdifferent combinations, namely 21 different numbers of divisions, and 25different frames when the separation of the divisions are also takeninto cinsideration, or by the use of one form of longitudinal framemember, one form of transverse frame member, one form of longitudinaldivisional member, and one form of transverse divisional member. Thus,from these four shapes, where the suitable arranged recesses and notchesare used, at least 25 differently divided frames may be produced.

ln use a tray usually of a metal having end walls 5t), a bottom wall Sland side walls 52, is provided with an outwardly Haring lip at its upperedge, as at 53, so that these trays may fit one upon the other. Eachtray is of a depth to receive two frames, one of these frames willusually have beneath it some sort of padding, 55, so that jawelry willnot be scratched as it is laid in the tray, and in a suitable cell. Aform of padding, 56 may be laid upon the lower divisional frame, andanother frame superimposed upon it. Thus, each tray is provided with twodivisional frames, and two trays may be superimposed one upon the otherwithin the box 60, which is provided for holding four trays. The boxes60 are also provided with shoulders 61 and a lip 62 so that one box maybe superimposed on the other as illustrated in dot and dash lines inFigure 2.

lt is usually desired that the frame with its divisions shall bepromptly assembled, and accordingly, some sort of a solvent is providedfor the plastic material which is utilized for the frames and divisions,and applied as the parts are assembled so that in elect a weld isprovided at the joints. By this arrangement, a very etlicient and yetsimple method of formation is provided for providing lil 4 differentselected numbers of cells with a minimum number of parts.

I claim:

l. A dividing unit for a rectangular container comprising a rectangularframe having opposite side and end walls, each with grooves extendingfrom top to bottom across the inner face thereof, the grooves in theopposite side walls having identical opposed patterns and being arrangedso that a plurality of groups of said grooves may be selected each ofwhich divides the lengths of the side walls into a number of equalspaces, the numbers of the equal spaces provided by the groups beingcapable of forming a consecutive series in which each number thereofdiffers'from the nearest adjacent number of the series by one, thegrooves in the opposite end walls having identical opposed patterns andbeing arranged so that a plurality of groups of said grooves may beselected each of which divides the lengths of the end walls into anumber of equal spaces, the numbers of the equal spaces provided by thegroups being capable of forming a consecutive series in which eachnumber thereof differs from the nearest adjacent number of the series byone, and longitudinal and lateral division plates comprisinglongitudinal members having opposite parallel edges with their ends inthe grooves of the end Walls and with a plurality of notches in one oftheir edges corresponding in location to the grooves in the side wallsof the frame and lateral members having opposite parallel edges withtheir end in the grooves of the side Walls of the frames, and aplurality of notches in one of their edges corresponding in location tothe grooves in the end Walls of the frame and interttting with thenotches in the longitudinal division plates whereby the division platesmay be changed to form other area divisions by placing them in differentgrooves and notches of their co-operating frame and plates.

2. A dividing unit as in claim 1 wherein the plates are of equal lateraldimension.

3. A dividing unit as in claim l wherein the frame walls and plates areof equal lateral dimension.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

